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Subject: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: An Observer [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 14:48:22 10/29/24 Tue Tony Romo described in real time that, at this point in football history, executing a Hail Mary pass is absolutely not simply having a bunch of receivers run downfield and hope for the best. The objective is to have two or receivers jump for the ball and try to catch it at the highest point possible. Assuming that there will be multiple defenders trying to knock down the pass at the highest point possible, try to deflect the ball up, either backwards further deep into the end zone to a teammate pre-positioned there for the rebound, or forward to another teammate who would be prepared to run with the ball after securing the tip. It's not easy per se, but it's a carefully scripted play with multiple receivers playing different roles. It has a chance of working every single time. Similarly, the defense should have cornerbacks prepared to disrupt every stage of the offensive plan. The key is to have at least one defender boxing out each of the receivers looking to corral a tipped pass. Having all eight cornerbacks jumping for the downward pass wastes the presence of half of them. The marginal value of defenders 5 through 8 in the jump ball is very low. Have no more than four defenders jumping with the receivers originally. Keep the rest looking to knock down the rebound. In the post-mortem surrounding the end of the Bears-Commanders game, it turns out that Bear cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was responsible to boxing out the Commanders' downfield "rebound" man Noah Brown. Stevenson was late to the play because he spent the first four seconds after the snap jawing and chirping with Washington fans in the right corner of the end zone. He didn't notice that the play had started until the Bear receivers were already halfway to the end zone. In his scramble to reach the action, it would appear that Stevenson forgot his role in the defensive scheme. He joined his teammates in the initial leap for the downward pass. To his credit, he outjumped everybody in that scrum. To his detriment, he tipped it directly to Noah Brown. How do you explain that to your teammates in the locker room after the loss? [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Subject: Re: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: RedWin [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:28:01 10/29/24 Tue I was never a receiver or a QB. I was either blocking or tackling going all the way back to Pop Warner football. Although I was the back-up to the back up QB a few times in youth football, probably because other kids weren't smart enought to remember the plays. However, growing up everyone one on the team practiced the tipped ball drill where the football usually bounces off another players hands either in close range or a on a hail Mary pass. I literally practiced that drill hundreds if not thousands of times. On a Hail Marry pass, in most cases two or three players jump up to catch the pass, but it's usually tipped into another players hands. Meaning the other guys in the pack have to be ready to catch the tipped ball.

[> Subject: So, Coach AO.... Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:20:10 10/29/24 Tue What did Harvard do wrong here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNm41nT6S_A

[> [> Subject: Re: So, Coach AO.... Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 19:41:10 10/29/24 Tue Obviously, should not have hired a Princeton man.

[> Subject: Re: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: P-Fan [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 06:48:19 10/30/24 Wed Which is why I would rush at least four or maybe five. I hate just giving the QB all the time in the world.

[> [> Subject: Dartmouth did that in 1990 against Cornell Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 09:00:14 10/30/24 Wed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRy8EqToZ9k See just before the 36 minute mark. Dartmouth defended an obvious Hail Mary situation against Cornell with our usual base defense and Cover 2. It nearly backfired when our corner mistimed his jump and allowed the Cornell receiver to make the catch at the Dartmouth 5. Fortunately, the Dartmouth safety was there to make the tackle at the Dartmouth 2 when time expired. Coach Lyons (who was defensive coordinator at the time) later expressed regret to me privately that we weren't in the usual prevent defense for a Hail Mary on that play. I never asked him why not--did he just blow it, or did he call for prevent defense and was either overruled by Teevens or the call didn't make it to the players due to whatever miscommunication. That ended up being an important play for the 1990 season. It was Cornell's only loss and we shared the title with them that year. Cornell hasn't won a title since.

[> [> Subject: Re: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: Lurker [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:06:24 10/30/24 Wed I dont know why teams dont use exclusively quick DEs and LBs to rush in these situations. You know qb will hold ball for extra few seconds. Have your quick guys run around the Oline rather than through them.

[> [> [> Subject: Re: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:20:34 10/30/24 Wed Lurker makes an excellent point which you rarely hear mentioned. Obviously, you don't need the heft of a traditional defensive lineman because you don't care about stopping the run. You just want to keep the quarterback from doing exactly what Daniels did, run around and give all his guys plenty of time to get to the goal line and align themselves into their preferred "diamond" configuration. People who are Go Green's age will remember that, WAAAAAYYY back in the day, Princeton would occasionally rush the opposing quarterback in end-of-game situations with their wide receiver Michael Lerch. I'll bet he was 5'9" and 170. He was also by two steps the quickest guy on the field. Lurker is correct. Your only concern is harassing the quarterback from all directions. You know he won't run so you don't need to contain the edge. You just need to make sure that the quarterback doesn't run to one side of the field and then reverse direction, losing his three 300-pound pursuers behind him. Rush four Michael Lerch's and give the quarterback no more than four seconds to throw the ball.

[> [> [> [> Subject: I agree Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:07:29 10/30/24 Wed I always thought that was good strategy on Princeton's part. No idea why teams (including Princeton since Lerch's graduation) don't do it.

[> Subject: Re: The Way to Defend A Hail Mary Pass Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:39:59 11/02/24 Sat Harvard defended it pretty well today. :(